Recently we announced that Transition Bikes has released a bike called a Bandit 29. This bike has a 130mm travel rear end and is designed for the new Fox 34 forks at 140mm travel.
142x12
I have been a long time believer in longer travel suspension 29ers for trail riders of all types. The Transition has some really cool features that should please most aggressive trail riders. It is designed to be really playful and things like Bottom Bracket drop have been considered to capitalize on the larger diameter wheels descending confidence. Also slack angles and short chain stays are key design elements. My experience with bikes that have similiar geometry is that they are super fun bikes that really boost confidence and result in very playful bikes.
The Transition comes with a 68.5 degree head angle, shorter cock pit, 142 by 12mm rear axle and a tapered steer tube. It should be available for purchase in January of 2012 and is really reasonable compared to other small frame builders. The frame has a retail of $1599.00 and a complete bike with a Fox 34 and X7 build kit will retail for $3549.00
Enjoy the pictures and the cool video’s . We will start bugging Transition for a test model.
The Niner Bikes’ JET9 is not a new bike to most 29er enthusiasts. It was re-designed in 2009 after a tough first season. I am always amazed to see people online that are still asking about or making statements about the JET9 being recalled. The current JET9 is a completely different bike. The problems it had are long gone. Turn the page, it’s a new day.
We already posted an introduction to the JET9 -click here
. This article focuses on how the JET9 rides. Between my thoughts and those you see in the video reviews, more than ten riders spent time on the JET9 and provided input on its handling characteristics in order to provide as thorough a review as possible.
The JET9 is a 3” travel, Cross Country bike. One thing is for sure, there was no confusion as to its purpose. This is not an All-Mountain bike, but don’t take this statement as a knock on the JET9’s structural integrity. We did not get a single complaint about stiffness with this bike. The frame is very sturdy. The reason why we say it is neither an All-Mountain bike nor a heavy duty, tech trail bike is that the angles are steep and there is not enough suspension travel for this bike to really allow a rider to charge a downhill or rock garden with reckless abandon.
As a Cross Country bike, it is designed to be efficient, light, agile and comfortable on cross country trails, which is the type of trail we’ve been testing it on. We have also taken it in trails that are probably leaning toward the all-mountain side for testing purposes in order to see where the limits of the bike are. Depending on where the trail fell on the continuum of Cross Country to All Mountain, determined whether the JET9 rode beautifully or was challenged. In the end, we feel that Niner makes bikes better suited to this purpose. The JET9 is made for a finesse rider who prefers smoother trails. If you like really tech riding, the Niner RIP9 or WFO9 has you covered.
Set Up Tips
Don’t be tempted to set the JET9 too firm. More air pressure in the rear shock will not make the rear suspension more efficient. If you really want to firm up the rear end, use pro-pedal. The CVA suspension is made to have sag in it. I would stay between 20% and 25%. I would even take it to 30% before going to the opposite extreme. Take the time to set up your bike right. Set the sag to 25%. Then, slow the rebound down until, after a hard compression, the rebound does not pop your butt out of the seat. Work from there to fine tune to your preference. I ran the JET9 about 4 clicks from full slow and it pedaled great, while still working its little 3 inch heart out.
We only ran the JET9 with a 4” travel Rock Shox Reba fork. I can’t imagine running a shorter travel fork, as the JET9 is a very fast handler in 100 mm mode. Speeding it up more would only exaggerate its descending nuances. If you are looking at this bike, I highly recommend running the 100mm fork.
Climbing:
The JET 9 is, in my opinion, a strong climber. The fully active suspension adds a solid amount of traction on moderate surface trails. The 3 inch travel rear end may surprise you with its ability to keep the rear wheel on the ground over smaller roots or rocks. I never noticed the rear end of the bike bouncing around. It is a firm feeling suspension but somehow it manages to absorb small to medium size obstacles without ever stinging the body of the rider.
For step-ups or log-overs the suspension never gets too deep into its travel. This is important for a good tech climber because it never feels like your power is being robbed by soft suspension. When you get most of the bike over, there is enough cushion to be a little forgiving, which really aids in getting over bigger step-ups or log-overs. Every rider except Calvin (9 out of ten riders), thought the JET9 climbed very well. Most of this is because of its ability to steer and keep the front wheel planted on any climb I put it to. I feel it climbs great until the trail gets really loose and chunky. This is where I would step up to the RIP9.
Descending:
Descending on the JET9, not unlike most Cross Country bikes, is about picking a line. It can be a handful on really steep descents, or those with a loose top layer. I put a few different tires on it including the stock Continental Race King tires, Schwable Racing Ralgh EVO tubeless casing tires (new for 2012. See our short video and comments here), Specialized Captain 2.2 and Eskar (the set up we use on all our test bikes), and Geax AKA tires. While the large tires helped with the JET9’s descending manners and downhill confidence, the JET9 is still a responsive bike that requires a rider to stay in control and apply finesse on down hills. While it is a little nervous compared to other 29ers we have tested, it still is my preference over 26ers built for the same purpose. Remember, we are comparing to other 29ers when we make statements about a bikes relative handling traits. Just to be fair, it descends well, just not as well as it could with a couple of geometry tweaks.That said, if you change the geometry of the JET9, it will forfeit some of its sure footed climbing attributes. Do you, the rider, really want to sacrifice climbing manners on a 3 inch travel bike?
Strengths:
Where the JET9 excels is on rolling single track, especially trails built to IMBA standards, and smoother trails with intermittent root fields and small rock gardens. Most local cross country trails here in the Southeast are easily handled by the JET9. On these types of trails, the JET9 can handle the abrupt tempo changes, tight rolling turns and roots, while still keeping its rider feeling fresh – where a hard tail would leave a sting in the knees and back. All this, while still allowing you to feel the trail underneath you. The other side of the coin is, if you have longer climbs, only sporadic roots, or well spaced medium sized obstacles the JET9 will easily claw its way up hills without spending too much of its rider’s energy. If this sounds like where you ride, the JET9 is pretty ideal.
Weakness ?
When I ride Uwharrie, or on really steep, rocky terrain, I am quickly reminded why I prefer a RIP9 or other longer travel bike with slacker angles. On relentless descents with constant chatter or large rocks and step downs, the JET9 gets overwhelmed. This bike is a 3 inch travel bike. Don’t listen to the hype that big wheels are a substitute for some amount of suspension travel; there is no substitute for high quality suspension. For the same reasons you don’t want to take a cross country race bike on a downhill run, you wouldn’t want to take a JET9 on an All Mountain style ride. Sure, a talented rider could certainly survive or even blow our doors off. For the rest of us mortals, buy the right tool for the job or be prepared to make do when the terrain does not play to your bike’s strengths.
Components:
We tested the JET9 with Niner’s X7 kit. First things first. Thank you Niner for giving a full X-7 10 speed kit. This is not a low end kit with an X7 rear derailleur. From the rear derailleur to the Hubs it is all X7. The X7 kit is a worthy mountain bike kit. We have been riding it for months and have not changed anything besides the chain. Calvin snapped that in two sections. Shortly after, Camye broke one as well. The rest of the bike has taken a beating with very little maintenance. Just keep it clean and make sure you lube the chain and pivot points.
The 2×10 X7 crankset gearing can be a little tall for some. Really though, the 26 tooth front combined with the 36 tooth rear cassette is a very low gear. My problem with the gear range is that, a lot of times, the 26 tooth low was a little too small and the 39 was a little too big. There are a lot a gearing options and there is more than likely a gear range that would match my sweet spot 3×10 set up, except at the extremes. You just had to get used to changing the front derailleur more often then with a 3×10 set up.
One of the great specs of the X-7 build is the Stan’s tubeless ready Arch rims. The JET9 X-7 kit comes with everything you need to convert except for the Goo. I would not leave the shop without a container of Stan’s sealant. They are 32 hole 3 cross laced wheels. This is an easy wheel to maintain. The hubs are pretty average as far as feel. Of course, if you can afford to, upgrade to a higher end hub. While it could definitely be better, for the money, this is an honest, hard working hub that won’t hold you back.
The only part I would upgrade right off the bat is the tires. If you are on the East coast, change out the tires to something meatier with more of a paddle style tread. Out west I hear the Continental tires work well. I can’t comment on that, so I would take Niner’s word as they are based on the West side and they seemed to like the Continentals.
Aside from the tires, and even that depends on where you live, I really can’t pin point any one thing and say you should switch it. Except for the chain, everything held up great and is still working fine. Yes, there are cooler parts but if you are on a budget the X7 build Niner has put together is a great way to get on a JET9. It will hold up as well as anything else out there. It is a smart, budget oriented performance build. For the average guy or girl, it’s actually hard to justify more.
Who Should Buy The Niner JET9
All our testers agreed the JET9 is fun, handles great, and fits the bill well for certain trail types and riders. If your rides involve lots of weaving in and out of rolling single track, smoother trails, and dirt roads, the JET9 fits the bill well. If you enjoy a good work out with an emphasis on climbing and pushing a good gear, and ride with good form, you will probably like the JET9. If you prefer minimalist bikes, but still want your bike to be strong enough to ride as a daily rider with minimal fuss, the JET9 is a great choice. All these traits also make it a good choice for endurance racing on courses that play to the JET9’s strengths.
The Canfield Brothers Yelli Screamy is a unique hardtail in today’s industry cookie cutter hardtail segment. The 29eronline testers have been pleading to get their hands on a 29er hardtail for months now. The Yelli Screamy did not disappoint.
We need to make a couple of notes on geometry. The Yelli Screamy is Canfield Brothers’ take on an All Mountain hardtail. Our take on “All Mountain Bikes” needs to be defined. All Mountain, to us, means the bike is able to climb, but is really focused on technical riding ability, searching out new lines, and is designed with better descending manners than climbing. For us, All Mountain is based on having fun, not overall speed.
With a hardtail, efficiency is kind of redundant. It pedals “like a hardtail”, right? It, evidently, is not that simple. Charlie Storm, our resident XC professional makes some interesting comments, if you listen to his video clip in our tester video. Not all hardtails are ideal for efficiency and they are definitely noticeably different handlers. The Canfield is all about fun. I am sure you could race it but it is really about playing in the woods not so much about all business, efficiency.
The Yelli Screamy handles quickly. It is the tester’s unanimous opinion that the Yelli Screamy gets rid of the negative traits that many people associate with 29ers compared to 26ers. The Yelli Screamy is excellent in slow speed, technical terrain, and hopping moves. It is very easy to lift the front end of this bike. My first experience getting the bike on it’s rear wheel had me grabbing a handful of rear brake to prevent my butt from meeting the trail. It is the easiest 29er to get the front wheel airborne 29eronline’s crew has tested to date.
The test crew, myself included, settled in on the fork at 120 mm travel. At this setting, the bike seems to climb with not much incidence of a light front end, as well as offering our preferred bottom bracket height and playful handling. No problems on switchbacks – either climbing or descending; the Yelli Screamy’s wheel base and balance where great.
Speaking of climbing, this is probably the most asked question we get as regards the Yelli Screamy. It probably arises due to the bike’s short chain stays combined with it’s slack head angle. On a 26 inch wheel bike, this combination is usually a handful in climbing situations. On a 29er it is not as much of an issue. Unless you love a completely glued down front end, the Yelli Screamy climbs well. I would say its strength is on technical climbs littered with rocks and step ups or climbs that have a lot of switchbacks.
I am not sure why, but for some reason people thought the Yelli Screamy got up to speed better then other 29ers we have ridden. Add it’s ability to respond quickly, and the Yelly Screamy scales step-ups and obstacles with authority.
While descending at high speed, the rear end skips and skitters like all other hard tails. However, the short wheel base never exaggerated this, and is easy to keep under you and in control. This ease of control combined with the slack head angle make it very manageable at speed. While I would not say high speed descents are its strength, there is nothing holding the Yelli Screamy back in this area. Confidence is quickly gained, probably due to it’s responsiveness to rider input. I never felt out of control. At some point, most other hardtail 29ers send me off into the woods while I am learning their handling limits. The Canfield, happily, kept me on the trail and out of the brush.
Slow speed tech is where the Yelli Screamy really shines. It is well balanced and responds quickly to any pedaling or weight changes. This responsiveness surpasses any other 29er I have ridden to date. If you want to challenge your skills at technical riding, or rock crawling, the Yelli Screamy is your bike.
Who should own the Yelly Screamy? If you want the reliability of a hardtail, and your focus is on playing in the woods not on breaking speed records or shattering ride times at your local loop, the Canfield Yelli Screamy will work well for you. This is a great bike for exploring new trails and for pushing your riding skills to the next level. The Yelli Screamy did everything we wanted it to do very well and on some things it went above and beyond any expectations we had. This is a great candidate for a one bike rider that doesn’t want to deal with dual suspension.
In the process of my first bike review here are some things I have learned
How to Fix a Warped Rotor:
Option A. Drive to shop and buy snazzy tool for straightening rotors for $18. Stare at the pads and watch which side rubs. Bend the part that appears to rub. Spin the wheel and see how nothing has happened – still rubbing. Keep staring, bending, and having nothing happen. Mark the part that appears to be rubbing with a Sharpie. Keep bending and having nothing happen. Start thinking about how much a new rotor would cost, what shipping would be and if the local shop would have one. Drive to shop and buy new rotor.
Option B. Take the rotor off the wheel and place it flat on workbench. Now that it is completely obvious where it is warped, hold the warped part off the flat surface with the rest still on the table. Bend it so it will be flat. Put it back on wheel, put wheel on bike. Enjoy rub-free braking.
How to fix a shifting problem – the chain refuses to go into any of three biggest back rings on rear cassette.
Option A. It seems logical that, when the shifting is not working, it must be the rear derailleur. That’s what does the shifting right? Those screws by the “H†and “L†must do something important. Consider looking up which one does what on the Internet. Decide that, with a 50-50 chance of being right, why bother. Tighten them, loosen them, and scratch your head wondering why pretty much nothing happens. Pretty soon, it shifts worse than it did when you started. Consider that it might be the front derailleur causing a problem. Remember that you have 1×9 set-up. Give up. Drive to bike store. Pay for tune up.
Option B. Just for the heck of it, twist the cable tension tighter on the handlebar barrel adjuster. Bingo! Shifts like a dream again.
Two Ways to Choose a seat for new hard tail.
Option A. When the bike shop has a sale but does not have the seat that has worked well on your FS bike, choose a light, no padding XC saddle. Enthralled by the sale, tell yourself you are hard core and having your new bike be .001 pounds lighter is really important. Spend the entire first ride miserable and get home to a chaffed rear.
Option B. Really? Less padding on the bike with no rear suspension? Have a little patience. Ten percent off is not worth a sore rear. Stick with what works.
Wheels are, by a long shot, one of the best places for a mountain biker to spend their upgrade dollars. Wheelsets vary greatly in price point and intended use. From $2,000 carbon fiber dream wheels, to $200 budget wheels, and everything in between, it can be hard to figure out what the best wheelset is for the regular trail rider who does not have a tape worm keeping them trim and race ready, but somehow got a tape worm in their wallet keeping it super light.
Enter the $450 a set SunRingle’ Charger Expert 29er wheel set. For an overview read our introduction here. This wheelset is a value in the middle of a trend driven, hyped up market .The SunRingle’ wheels offer an excellent value to performance ratio. Let’s first say that $450 isn’t cheap. If you think that $450 is cheap, then why aren’t you hitting the donate button at 29eronline more often? Most people work pretty hard for $450. SunRingle’ knows this, and responds by making a wheelset that just works. We have been riding this wheelset on 3 different bikes. We rode it on the Titus Rockstar, Intense Tracer 29er and, for a short ride, on The Canfield Yelli Screamy. Far from being retired, they are getting ready to be tested by a #300 pound clydesdale. I am confident that they will be just fine, but we’ll let you know as he gives them a workout over time.
Rather then spend a bunch of time talking about how many ratchets they have or if it would be better if SunRingle’ ran them with more spokes etc., we will just make a couple of comments on performance.
The wheelset has stayed true and the dozen riders who have ridden them, including me, have never noticed or complained of flex.They have survived #230 pound men riding in rock gardens and have been ridden by #120 women with no complaints about the 1,950 gram weight. Sun Ringle makes lighter wheels but you do lose out on the 28mm rim width and the extra security these wheels give you to ride day after day and get home safely.
I have never had anyone tell me they wished for a faster hub reaction, which would have clued me in to not enough ratchets. The tubeless set up has been flawless and easily accommodated 2.3 inch Panaracer Rampages and 2.4 inch width Specialized Purgatory tires. The rims are nice and wide at 28mm to keep the wider tires nice and square shaped as opposed to a horse shoe shape. This helps keep the tire from ballooning, helps prevent burping and it prevents the tire from rolling underneath the rider or squirming. I really like what the width does to a narrower tire, for the same reasons as above.
We have had a wet winter and ridden the wheels in less than perfect conditions. The hubs are spinning freely and still have a smooth pleasant buzz. The buzz is there, but not so loud that it is distracting.
Could they be better? Yes, but then they would cost more then $450. For the price, I can only think of one thing I would change. The 20mm axle conversion does not lock into the hub well. If you remove your front wheel, the hub end-caps can pop out of the hub. This only happens with the 20mm end-caps. The 15mm qr press fits nicely and is very secure. Once the 20mm end-caps are in the hub and installed in the fork, they are completely solid. I would just like to see them press into the hub and not come out when the front wheel is removed. I emailed SunRingle’ about the end caps and while they admit it is a less then perfect set up, it works and is safe and economical. The higher end Charger Pro 29er wheels have a more secure interface in addition to fancier features like alloy nipples, direct pull spokes, more ratchets and an overall lighter weight for the price of $650.
If you are using a standard axle, the SunRingle’ Charger Expert 29er wheels have you covered. Just specify the axle you wish to use when ordering as the smaller axle is a separate wheel and not able to convert.
If you are building a bike on a moderate budget, but realize the importance of a great set of wheels, we strongly recommend you get a set of the SunRingle’ Charger Expert 29er wheels.
The other day, in our Bob Builds Bikes requests, a reader was trying to decide what kind of bike he should get and he mentioned the idea of diminishing returns. He had a flexible budget, but also appreciated value. So, what does diminishing returns mean, aside from what your 401K has been providing the last few years
****WARNING TO READER*****
If you have an unlimited budget and having the latest, coolest, lightest, fastest, most custom bike, is what you are all about, STOP READING NOW! We are certainly not ones to judge anyone for spending ridiculous amounts on bikes. Jealous, yes, judgemental, no.
*****IF THE ABOVE DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU, CONTINUE READING*****
In this context, diminishing returns means that, once you spend a certain amount on a bike or component, continuing to spend more money gets smaller and smaller improvements. Chances are, if you are the type to be reading 29eronline, you are either on a research mission – looking to buy a bike or you are an enthusiast who likes knowing about bikes in general and you are always plotting your next purchase/ upgrade, regardless of when your last purchase was. Either way, chances are also pretty good that you are not the type to buy a 29er Mongoose from Walmart for $199. You have determined that spending more will get you a better bike – lighter, components that are more reliable, better performing, and more durable, to name a few.
The question as it relates to diminishing returns becomes; How light is light is enough? What level of components will work best and at what point are you just telling yourself it is “better†to justify the fact that you have been sucked in by cool factor, advertising hype or any number of other reasons we buy things we don’t really need.
For the sake of illustration let’s agree on a few things, and see if we can come up with some answers. First, let’s agree that a $2,000 Specialized Stumpjumper hard tail, just to choose one at random, is, by virtue of the superior frame and components, measurably better than the $199 Mongoose. That should be easy. Take more of a leap and let’s also agree that it is ten times better, since it is roughly ten times more expensive.
Maybe somebody much smarter than us could figure out a way to quantify exactly how much better etc, but that really opens way too many arguments – 29eronline is about bikes, not scientific measurement and quantification to the n’th degree. Plus, that sounds way boring when we could be riding.
Thanks for working with us – back to our example. To continue improving based on the ratio in our example, to get a bike 10 times better than our $2,000 bike, we’d have to spend $20,000. They may exist, but I have yet to run across a bike that costs that much. So, what does a top end bike run – say $6,000 to $7,000? Wow, what a bargain, but how much better is it? The first additional $1,800 investment gets you a bike ten times better. The next $4,000 to $5,000 investment……not so sure – 10 times seems unlikely. It would have to weigh 11 pounds, shift automatically and have sonar based adaptive suspension.
Voila, diminishing return on investment. The problem is that most of us don’t get to ride enough different bikes at enough different component levels to feel like we are making an informed choice. Buying the best may be a good solution, but it could also be unnecessarily eating up lots of beer money when second or third best would be just fine. Thankfully, we have the 29eronline test riders to help out by riding and evaluating a wide range of bikes and spec levels. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it!
With enough input, we should be able to come up with the sweet spot where performance and value meet to give you at least the best general area on the diminishing value curve; the place where you get the most bike for your dollar and beyond which you start spending money on things that are probably pretty cool, but won’t really impact your ride enough to justify the cost.
This is the first part in a series looking at this topic. We intend to look at components, hard tails, and full suspension bikes through this lens of diminishing returns, with an eye towards finding what is, in our opinion, the price point that best maximizes both value and performance.
There is an important caveat in this line of thinking. For me, as useful and interesting as some unbiased analysis is, mountain biking can not be reduced to a point on a curve. I don’t race, I do it for fun. I read and write about it because I love bikes – just the look and feel of them makes me happy. I heard of a study that measured national happiness - Denmark came out on top – go figure. Anyway, whatever it is; a custom made, hand crafted bike, or the latest carbon fiber technology, may just make you as happy. Period. If that’s the case and the dollars are in your piggy bank, happiness is within your reach. If the angel on your shoulder, finances or whatever, means you are considering value, a little exploration of the best value price points could be for you.
I’ve been using tubeless tires since 2003 and I am convinced that for me it is substantially more reliable system than tube tires which suffer from constant thorn prick flats and pinch flats. In seven years of using tubeless tires I have had to walk out of the woods 3 times and rode out on tires with low air pressure maybe another 3 times. Of the three walkouts two were do to sidewall tears – one by a sharp pointed stick and one by a sharp pointed rock. The third flat was due to burping a tire and loosing the sidewall seal. Burping occurs more often with big aggressive rider that jump a lot. Maybe I am just lucky but compared to the number of flats I used to get with tube tires that’s a pretty impressive track record.
I have been using Stan’s Sealant the entire time – I have never tried tubeless without Stan’s but why risk it.
After using Stan’s for seven years I have concluded that Stan’s is not real good for your tires but it is a necessary evil if you want the added reliability of a sealant. In fact I think that Stan’s will eventually attack some of the rubber compounds used in the tires. I have had two tires which developed soft spots which formed bulges in the tires – one Kenda & one Continental. A couple of years ago I read in a Kenda tire brochure that there warranty was void if you used a sealant in there tires.  I am not sure if that is still true today maybe Fat Bob can check on that.
I have had some tubeless tires that you had to pump up before each ride and some that hold air for weeks as good as tube tires.
Right now I am actually running tires designed for tubes tubeless with Stan’s – this makes for an ultra light set up but it is a somewhat risky practice. I had a big crash this fall due to an ultra thin tube type tire sidewall becoming porous and leaking air out during a ride causing the tire to roll sideways on me which caused me to loose control.
I have seen this sealant dry up and have had to re-dose some of my tires with a new shot of sealant to bring back the air holding properties of those tires. Besides drying up I have experienced another phenomenon wile using Stan’s – a Stan’s man will form inside your tire (see photo) which can roll around and potentially wear on you tire from the inside. This big glob of Stan’s has got to effect the dynamic balance of the tire and cause it to bump a little if you get going real fast. Stan’s claims that there sealant will seal holes as big as 1/4†now that big glob I found might but sealing ¼†hole as they claim might be a bit overstated besides if you had a hole that big in a bike tire there would be major structural damage to the tires fabric core.
Our goal in creating this site is to provide honest reviews on big wheel mountain bikes (29ers to be exact) while stating up front our prejudices.
To do this better we need your help!
So please don't hesitate to offer your opinions on our current reviews by leaving a comment or tell us what you would like to see reviewed or why you appreciated / didn't appreciate something we have already reviewed.
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